National Alliance for Musical Theatre Announces Line-Up for the FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS

National Alliance for Musical Theatre announces the line-up of new musicals for their 31st Annual FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, which takes place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25, 2019 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). The Festival events will kick off on Wednesday, October 23, with the return of The 46th Minute Concert.

Registration for industry members is free and now open at www.namt.org/festival. The public can also receive passes to the Festival through a donation to NAMT. There is also a day-of standby line for the general public for free admission (based on availability).

Now in its 31st year, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS attracts theatre producers from around the world for this industry-only event to discover eight new musicals presented in 45-minute concert presentations over two days. All production costs are underwritten by NAMT, at no cost to the writing teams. As a non-profit organization, NAMT funds the Festival entirely through donations, sponsorships and contributions.

The Festival has introduced musical theatre producers to 260 musicals and 491 writers from around the world. As a direct result of the FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS, more than 85% of the musicals presented have gone on to subsequent readings, workshops, productions, tours, been licensed, and/or recorded on cast albums. Some past Festival shows include The Ballad of Klook and Vinette, Benny & Joon, Come From Away, Darling Grenadine, The Drowsy Chaperone, Gun & Powder, It Shoulda Been You, Lempicka,Ordinary Days, Striking 12 and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others.

This year, a committee of 17 theatre professionals selected eight new musicals out of 219 blind submissions. The musicals they chose for the 31st Annual Festival are:

Hi, My Name is Ben (book & lyrics by Scott Gilmour, music by Claire McKenzie), Interstate (book, lyrics & music by Melissa Li, book & lyrics by Kit Yan), Iron John: an american ghost story (music & book by Jacinth Greywoode, lyrics & book by Rebecca Hart), Lautrec at the St. James (music by Julianne Wick Davis, book & lyrics by John Dietrich), One Way (Music by Ben Bonnema, Lyrics by Christopher Staskel, book by Ben Bonnema & Christopher Staskel), SeaWife (music & lyrics by The Lobbyists, book by Seth Moore, directed & developed by Liz Carlson), Simon & Jorge Pay Their Student Loans (book, music & lyrics by Jesse Gage) and Teeth (book by Michael R. Jackson & Anna K. Jacobs, music by Anna K. Jacobs, lyrics by Michael R. Jackson).

In a statement, Betsy King Militello, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, said,"We are excited to share these extraordinary shows and writers with our membership. This year's Festival of New Musicals will take us from humorous to haunted and from California to Mars. There is truly something for everyone in this astonishing lineup of new musicals.

On behalf of the Festival Committee, Co-Chairs Pamela Adams, General Manager, Atlantic Theater Company, and Yuvika Tolani, Associate Producer, The Public Theater, stated, "We are grateful to the hundreds of writers who shared their work through 200-plus submissions this year. The incredible range of musical theatre voices inspired us and we are thrilled to share these eight new musicals with audiences this fall."

Casting for each musical and further programming details will be announced soon.

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